In addition to affecting drinking behaviors and risk for alcoholism, ADH and ALDH alleles affect the risk for esophageal cancer. In a meta-analysis of studies (primarily of East Asian populations), the presence of ADH1B*1 was associated with a higher risk for esophageal cancer even in men who drank little or rarely and had a greater effect in heavier drinkers (Yang et al. 2010). Moreover, although the presence of ALDH2*2 alleles reduces drinking, the risk for esophageal cancer is elevated among those who drink despite carrying these alleles. Finally, a large study of European subjects showed that ADH1B*2 and an allele in ADH7 (the minor allele of rs1573496) independently were protective against upper aerodigestive cancers, particularly among heavier drinkers (Hashibe et al. 2008).
